


I Can't, I Won't.

by laurenkmyers



Category: Animal Kingdom (2010), Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-24 15:52:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15633864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurenkmyers/pseuds/laurenkmyers
Summary: Adrian ends up in the crossfire and Deran looses his shit.





	I Can't, I Won't.

**Author's Note:**

> I was asked to do a prompt involving a protective Deran. This little story came to life. I hope this is what you wanted. I also just finished writing this, it is currently 2:11 GMT, so any and all mistakes our my own to claim. It's late, and this is unbeta'd once again. I hope you enjoy <3

Deran is too late, he hears the sound of bullets hitting the windows, watches as the glass around them shatters. He tries to get to Adrian in time, to shield him from the oncoming storm of ricocheting bullets. But one finds its target, and Deran can only watch in slow motion as Adrian hits the ground hard, clutching himself and curling into a ball; a smaller target.

“ADRIAN!” Deran screams, dropping to the ground and crawling his way over to his fallen man, dodging the bullets still whipping through the air above them.

He almost reaches Adrian when another round of bullets force their way through the bar and land mere centimetres away from him. He turns to look over at Adrian, who is now lying face down in a pool of his own blood. Deran blanches at the sight, and yells for him once more hoping for a reply.

“De-ran?” Adrian responds, whimpering in pain but _alive._

“Don’t move. Stay exactly where you are” Deran tries to sound reassuring, but the slight tremble in his voice gives him away, “I’m nearly there, stay down babe”

As Deran finally approaches Adrian he slowly turns him over to check the damage.

He pulls off Adrian’s checked shirt and rips at the black vest top. Bullet wound to the left shoulder. The bullet must have gone right through because there is a clean exit wound at the back.

“Shit, Adrian. I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have been here.”

“S’okay man. I’m okay. Just a scratch” Adrian slurs out his response, but smiles regardless of whatever pain he’s in. Doesn’t want to make a fuss. Or make Deran worry. He can see that Deran is about to lose it.

“We need to get you out of here so I can look at that wound. Clean it, then patch you up, but we’re not safe here anymore” his hands start shaking as he tries to put pressure on Adrian’s wound. “Come on, we need to leave before they come back to finish the job, whoever the fuck they are”.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

A few hours later, the two of them are safely back at Adrian’s place. Adrian is slumped on the bed with his freshly cleaned wound all bandaged up. He watches silently as Deran paces by the door. He wants to say something. Anything to make Deran come lay down with him, but he knows that Deran is too wound up to lie down. He looks as if he’s gearing for a fight.

“Hey, everything’s okay man. I got hurt. But it’s over now. We’re both safe, come to bed” Adrian’s attempt to blow off the situation causes Deran to see red.

“Nothing is okay about any of this.” He pauses, gearing himself up for a final goodbye “You were shot Adrian. For fuck sake man, because of who I am, you were shot. We can’t do this anymore”

“Can’t do what? Huh? Be together?” Adrian fights back, sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. If it was a fight Deran wanted, then a fight he’d get. Adrian is not going fold this time. There is too much at stake.

“Yes!” Deran bites back “It’s too fucking risky. You’ll just get caught in the crossfire. Again.” He bellows, turning away from Adrian completely. Shutting him out.

“I’m fine. The bullet only got my shoulder. I’m fine” Adrian tries to calm Deran down, failing miserably as he watches him pace back and forth, struggling to catch his breath. Until he stops breathing entirely.

“You could have died.” He finally lets out a breath “I’d go out of my fucking mind if you… I can’t lose you. I won’t survive”. The cracks in Deran’s wall start to crumble, but then he somehow miraculously picks up the pieces himself agonisingly until the wall around his broken heart is reset.

Adrian watches the famous Cody wall being put firmly back into place and he prepares for the worst. But he’s not giving up without a fight. Not this time. He storms over to Deran and grabs him hard by the back of the neck, forcing him to look into his eyes.

“I knew what I was getting into when I decided to become your friend all those years ago. I know who your family is, who your brothers are, who Smurf is. But most importantly, I know exactly who you are. I know what I’m getting into and I want you, Deran. Risks and all”.

Deran freezes, his whole body seizing up as he starts shaking, a single tear slides down his cheek but he wipes it away furiously. He doesn’t deserve this man. A man who has taken a bullet because of him, and is still sticking around to fight?

“I can’t lose you” Deran whispers, utterly defeated, resting his forehead against Adrian’s.

“This is my choice, not yours. And I choose you, Deran. I always have. I always will. Why do you think I keep coming back? I love you, for fucks sake” Adrian blurts out his confession so confidently that he doesn’t even have time to blink before the weight of his words hit him like a tonne of bricks, but he powers through in spite of his fear. “Please don’t shut me out, not after tonight. We’ve been through so much. I don’t want to be apart anymore. For once I’d like to get our timings right.” Adrian sighs as he finishes, delicately pushing a hand through Deran’s messy, sweat-soaked hair and smiling that soft side smile Deran has always loved.

“More people will come for me. They’ll come for you because you’re with me. They’ll try and use you against me. Because I-“Deran hesitates, the words stick in his throat. He’s never uttered those three words to anyone before. Not even to Smurf. But now he has to be brave. Adrian deserves to know the truth. No more hiding. “Because I love you”. He sighs in relief. It feels good. Deran Cody opened up and the world didn’t end. 

Adrian has never seen Deran look so peaceful before, he watches the way Deran’s face lightens, his body language softens, and his heart quickens, before he looks back at Adrian with his cerulean blue eyes, sparking with a new found happiness. Adrian makes a decision.

“If you love me and I love you, then you know that being with me despite all the ‘what ifs’ is worth the risk, right? You can’t continue to live your life in fear that something _might_ happen. If shits going to happen, it’ll happen” He points to his bandaged shoulder for dramatic effect. “Whether we’re together or not it’s not going to change the outcome. So be with me. Be selfish, for once in your goddamn life. I’m asking you to choose me” Adrian lays his heart on the line, wide open for Deran to tear apart or to piece back together.

Deran steps closer to Adrian (if that’s even possible considering they were practically plastered together already) and wraps his arms around Adrian, leaning forward so that his mouth is trailing along the shell of his ear.

“I choose you” he whispers, sending a delightful shiver down Adrian’s spine.

“Yeah?” Adrian mumbles back, pulling away slightly to get confirmation from his face.

“Yeah. Yes.” Deran smiles so brightly, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears of joy and he leans forward, pulling Adrian closer and locking their lips together. Kissing him for all he’s worth. The kiss gets deeper and much more heated when Deran’s tongue licks along the edge of Adrian’s bottom lip, begging for entrance. Adrian opens willingly, plunging his own tongue into Deran’s eager mouth. The two get lost in one another. Adrian tries wrapping himself impossibly closer to Deran but ends up twinging his wounded shoulder in the process, flinching away, leaving a whining Deran behind. Adrian looks a little sheepish for having to pull away from his impatient boyfriends lips.

“Easy there, tiger we’ve got all night. Take me to bed will you, it’s been a long day?”

Being hopelessly in love with a Cody has never been an easy road, but Adrian knows that no matter what happens, moments like this make it all worthwhile.


End file.
